SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 6, 2013
Central Florida 38, Florida International 0: Storm Johnson ran for three touchdowns, Blake Bortles accounted for two scores and the Knights’ defense suffocated the Panthers in a resounding road victory.
Johnson, a junior running back, rushed for touchdowns of 2 and 15 yards in the second quarter before adding another 2-yard scoring run midway through the third. He finished with 18 carries for 89 yards, giving him 188 yards and five touchdowns through the season’s first two weeks.
Bortles opened the scoring with a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter and later added a 5-yard scoring strike to J.J. Worton as part of a 12-for-19, 214-yard passing performance for the Knights, who improved to 2-0 for just the second time since 1999. Rannell Hall was Bortles’ top target on the night, finishing with 127 yards on four receptions.
After trouncing Akron last week, Central Florida has now outscored its opponents 76-7 this season. The Knights have the opportunity to open some eyes nationally in their next two games – a road matchup with Penn State and a home showdown with No. 6 South Carolina.
Florida International’s 12 drives ended in 10 punts, one fumble and a missed 34-yard field goal. The running game for the Panthers (0-2) produced 31 yards on 29 carries while quarterback Jake Medlock averaged only 5.1 yards on his 25 pass attempts.